Huge win for car owners! All TSBs to be made public.
The Center for Auto Safety just made the NHTSA (US Government) make public the full text of all TSBs from now on. They are the same organization that has petitioned the NHTSA & filed lawsuits to protect car owners over exploding gas tanks & other major safety issues.
Whenever you drive in your car, you are safer thanks in part to a lot of work over the years by this small but very effective consumer advocacy group.

Search for Car Problems

2003 Nissan Murano Owner Comments (Page 7 of 8)

Murano 6-cyl

96,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We began experiencing transmission problems approximately 1 year ago. The first indication of trouble was the inability of keeping a set speed while vehicle was set in cruise control. We could hear the transmission struggling to get to the set speed and could see the RPM shoot up at the same time. The other common problem occurs while veh is at a complete stop and then the accelerator is pressed in order to proceed (I.e. through an intersection), the veh will not move for several seconds while continuing to press the accel pedal. Then, very abruptly the veh will shoot into the intersection at a high rate of speed. *** this seems to be a continuing but intermittent problem. It occurs without warning-sometimes at high speeds on a freeway, often at low speeds in stop and go traffic. Recently, while on a very busy and dangerous roadway in lexington, ky during rush hour, I experienced the inability to reach the speed limit of 55 mph. While attempting to reach the speed, the tachometer (RPM) would increase to near warning (red zone) levels. I felt as a driver that I was completely helpless and in possible danger from the heavy traffic and my distraction. The town we live in has a high number of 4-way stop intersections. We have 2 school-aged children and do a lot of in-town driving. If there is a hesitation by me as a driver due to a mechanical problem, the other 3 drivers may not realize that I have established an intent to move into the 4-way intersection. In the past, a driver of one of the other 3 cars has entered the int and I have had to make an emergency type stop to avoid a collision. Our Nissan dealership (glenn Nissan-lexington, ky) examined our vehicle on 5/6/2008. They have advised us that our cvt transmission needs to be replaced. Estimated cost $5,030. The codes given are "dtc PO868, P1778. Mileage 97148. We did purchase the extended warranty, and are past the 72 month point (although still under the 100K mileage point).

Murano

45,000 miles

Nissan Murano has a design flaw with its transfer case. It cracks in half on cars with low mileage. If it happens on a highway, car stops in the middle of the highway with potential massive fatal accidents. My car broke at 44K and Nissan refused to replace the part as it was a month after the warranty expired. I found out on www.nissanmurano.org forum that many, many cars has this problem which is evidently an engineering design issue, but Nissan refuses to acknowledge the problem. One car broke down in Canada in the middle of nowhere with a small baby in the car in winter time. It a miracle that baby survived.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

67,000 miles

Feb 13 2008 - took my 2003 Nissan Murano in for recall. Also asked them to check the transmission oil, since the cap says to be checked only by dealer and I've been having the problem of hesitation, while trying to accelerate from a stop. Alternator. The other recall on some sort of protector, was re-scheduled, they had to order parts. He advised that the transmission oil was okay, but will probably need to do an oil change. Feb 27 2008 - parts arrived, dropped off car to do the recall on protector and fix sun visor. Later in the day, I was advised that not all the parts for the recall came in. And the part for the sun visor was a different part. Rescheduled for Mar 12, 2008. I also asked about changing the transmission fluid, he quoted me approx. $150. Agreed to schedule an appointment next time I was in. Mar 1, 2008 - first trip of the day, from a stop at intersection, accelerated to get onto main highway, we go approx 5 feet and the car slips out of gear and unable to go any further. Press the gas pedal and no rev. Called for a tow, and took my Murano to Nissan service. I was advised that no technician available until Monday. Mar 3, 2008 - Monday noon, called Nissan to check on my vehicle. Advised that they were trying to get in touch with Nissan on the mainland for advice on how to fix. The transmission might need to be replaced. They will let me know tomorrow. Mar 4, 2008 - Tuesday noon, called to check on my vehicle. They have yet to get in touch with Nissan on the mainland. They will have more information for me tomorrow. Mar 6, 2008 - the Nissan service supervisor called to advise that my transaxle needs to be replaced for approx. $4485. 00 transaxle, $850 labor. No explanation on what Nissan on the mainland had suggested. He said he would get in touch with them and let me know tomorrow.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

138,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission failure started when the car would experience a loss in power in heavy traffic then will suddenly lunge forward. We lost the transmission last week, the Murano couldn't even make it up to the driveway. We need to turn off the engine then turn it back on again in order to have the transmission working. The car is currently at the dealers waiting for a new transmission estimated at $4800. ~lb

Murano 4WD 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

57,002 miles

I stopped at a stoplight and when it turned green I attempted to proceed. The car would not move forward.the car behind me almost ran into me and many others started blowing their horn. The Murano moved about 6 feet limping forward slowly the stopped again. The light changed and I was stuck in the middle of a 4 lane ( 2 each way ) road. It took about 5 minutes to get into the correct lane and the car had a top speed of less then 10 mph. I pulled in a non service gas station and went in for lunch. About 3/4 of an hour later I returned to the car which ran fine..went to the airport and returned almost home before it happened again at another stoplight. While waiting for the 2003 Murano to move a Transport behind me jumped the curb to get around me and also gave me the finger. I took the Murano into a dealer who had never heard of the problem I mentioned ( but they told me it went into " limp mode" so I was sure that they had lots of experience with the specific problem. I took the Murano in on March 9th and picked it up March 15th after having the transmission replaced. On returned the Murano to the dealer on Monday April 9th I once again returned to the dealer because the Murano did not feel right. I asked if the mechanic could come with me and test drive it. I drove about 4 blocks from the dealership and pulled over to let the mechanic drive it since he thought it was just fine. He got behind the wheel and I noticed he was shifting from forward to reverse and back again, then he told me it would not move. Finally it limped back to the dealer with 4 way lights flashing. The customer service rep at vero us 1 Nissan - hyundi wrote up another work order and on April 20th I picked up the Murano with a second replacement transmission in 25 days. To this day neither Nissan usa or Nissan Canada have admitted there is an inherent safety problem with the Murano 2003-2004 cvt transmission due to failure and shutdown of the transmission.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2003 Nissan Murano fails to accelerate after having driven on the highway and exiting at a stop light. The gas pedal needs to be pressed down almost to the floor before the car begins to slowly move and sometimes the wheels spin out and the car will immediately zoom forward. Driving in stop & go traffic has become very dangerous because turning left along with normal movement through traffic has been vastly slowed.

Murano 4WD 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

110,000 miles

I have owned my Nissan Murano 2003 for about two years and a few months ago it started to hesitate while I was in stop and go traffic. I learned that by turning the car off for a few seconds the problem would go away. Then last week, my transmission started to make a strange noise and when I went to get my car fixed...my mechanic said that the cvt needed to be replaced and that Nissan is the only one that can fix it. The cvt is destroyed after 110K miles and with it's demise it took our and destroyed the transfer case totaling $7200 to fix. While looking at the consumer reports for this vehicle...it looks as if I am not alone in this situation and that Nissan has turned their backs on this initial product by not acknowledging the design flaws and chronic problems with this new cvt technology. I am currently waiting for Nissan to step up to the plate and make this right but if history and the correspondence with other Murano owners...I am not going to be satisfied with Nissan's stance. I would like to help initiate a class action against Nissan for both the cost to fix this known problem and the frustration this vehicle has given me.

Murano

Automatic transmission

miles

2 weeks after the 60,000 service (at 63,500 K)I had my catalytic converter replaced. At that time, the dealer said I needed the transfer case seal replaced ($800). That was not the real problem, the bearings were defective- I need a new transfer case (rebuild $900). But no parts are available so need to buy new transfer case from Nissan ($2500). Definitely a 2003 Murano manufacture defect.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

77,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2003 Nissan Murano. After 1.5 hours of highway driving, stopped car at stop light. When accelerator depressed, car was unresponsive for 5 seconds, then lurched forward. Moments later, accelerator could be depressed to floor (in the middle of a traffic intersection) with unresponsive RPM and acceleration. Once car shut off, car operated fine at highway speeds for remainder of trip. Within a week, while on vacation out-of-state, same problems occurs again. Murano is unresponsive once auto is slowed from highway speeds to stop-and-go traffic on highway. Able to get auto off highway although once clear of the highway, auto will not accelerate from stop light. Car remains unresponsive until shut down and restarted. Once running, car seems to chug and lurch at all speeds. Murano was immediately serviced (the following day) at faulkner Nissan in harrisburg, pa while on vacation and diagnosed with faulty transmission valve body. Replaced at cost of $1800+. on return trip to home (newport, ri), vehicle seems to be fine until decelerating for stop and go traffic. Once that occurs, it experiences countless transmission surges and shakes at all speeds. From standstill, car is unresponsive and often stutters and shakes. On return to home dealership (just one week after first service), dealer (barry Nissan, newport, ri), replaces transmission control unit ($1300+) yet still is unsure if that is the fix. Nissan Consumer Affairs has yet to return my call despite my initial complaint and multiple efforts to contact them again.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

87,000 miles

I noticed the RPM rev uncontrollably between 2 and 3K while driving and didn't think anything of it as no lights had come on with the vehicle. I began to notice that on hot days and days when I was in stop and go traffic the vehicle would respond extremely slow and then 10-15 seconds later would rev up almost to 4K RPM almost causing me to hit the car in front of me. At first I thought it was due to the gasoline in the vehicle. So I continued to drive the car. Then a couple of weeks later I get stuck in stop and go traffic.. the car again begins to respond super slowly 10-20 seconds. I exited the freeway and came to a stop light to make a right turn. My car sits.. and sits.. and then takes off at 60mph at a stopped turn right and I almost hit a car. I've called the service center at the Nissan in my area and they claim that they have never heard of the issues that I have stated and that they need to keep my vehicle for a day to duplicate what's going on. After reading all of the post by other owners there is something seriously wrong with something in the cars transmission. If I have to replace the entire transmission at $6000 because of a $5 sensor that to me seems like a crock. I think that something needs to be done about this because you can guarantee the owners that own these slow responding cars will sell them or trade them in and another unsuspecting owner on a hot and stop and go traffic day wont know what's going on with their brand new used 10 point inspected vehicle. I think that something needs to be done about this or their will be loss of life due to this design flaw. Right now I have not had my failing parts fixed because I will not pay the $6,000 to replace a transmission. I will probably end up trading the car in and using the $6,000 to purchase another vehicle that does not have these problems.

Murano 4WD 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

82,000 miles

The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Murano. While driving 45 mph, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to move. The vehicle was pulled over and towed to the dealer, who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 82,000.

Murano

miles

Nissan muarano 2003. When hot and stop and go, acceleration can lag by 10 to 30 secons after stepping on accelerator pedal. Very dangerous. Seems to be a pressure sensor in the transmission and they want $3000. To $5000. To fix. Many posts on the web.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

miles

I have a 2003 Nissan Murano with 71,300 miles, whenever I get to a stopping point or making a turn, if I tried to resume driving the vehicle does not move. There'll be no acceleration power. I will be waiting for 5-10 minutes before the vehicle could move. I'm afraid I might get hit one day.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

63,000 miles

I own a 2003 Nissan Murano, that is no longer operational due to a faulty transmission. On the 26th of November 2006, the transmission seized and stopped operating, as I was driving on the highway. Now I have a 3 year old, $35,000 dollar vehicle, which may as well be a paperweight. The vehicle is sitting in my driveway, awaiting repairs. I take care of this vehicle as if it were my own child. I ensure that the oil is replaced every 3,000 miles religiously, and I have spent hundreds of dollars for routine scheduled services. To sustain a Nissan Murano is not a cheap task. The last scheduled service was a 60,000 mile maintenance and it cost me well over $500 dollars. I ensure that the maintenance is being completed, because I understand the importance of routine services. When I purchased this Nissan Murano, I had no idea it would give me so many headaches. I have been to the Nissan dealers for unscheduled warranty repair at least 5 times a year, since I purchased it. Some of the issues I have had with the SUV are, the check engine light turning on, unexplained vehicle vibrations when driving, car seizing in the middle of road, bad brakes, alternator had to be exchanged, battery went bad, and my transmission would not fall into gear. I called the Nissan consumer toll free number and the Nissan corporation is asking me to consolidate the records of everything that has been repaired on the car, and fax it to them. It seems that conveniently enough, Nissan does not have records of any maintenance that was performed at authorized Nissan dealers. I was told that this information had to be faxed first, before a decision can be made. The transmission has had previous difficulties covered under the warranty and had continued to malfunction when the current incident occurred. The only decision I would like to receive, as soon as possible is, if the Nissan corporation is going to grant my request to fix my transmission at no cost.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

77,093 miles

Experienced clicking sound and subsequent loss of power while driving in mountainous area. 2003 Murano was completely disabled with what turned out to be complete failure of cvt transmission in Nissan dealer maintained vehicle with 77,000 miles on odometer. At this point, Nissan has offered no goodwill help in replacing $5000 cvt transmission, citing outside of 60,000 mile drive train warranty. Reliability of cvt technology in 2003 model is questionable, if complete failure on cvt is normal wear and tear at 77,000 miles. With exception of replacing two radiators and this cvt failure, I have had been very happy with vehicle.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

28,000 miles

After driving on a highway at 55+mph, for more than a half hour, if you then get into stop and go or city traffic, and you are stopped, if you press on the accelerator, the car will not respond for 5-10 seconds, then will lunge forward. This is not only annoying, it is so dangerous. Now that I am aware of it, I try to leave lots of space between me and the car in front of me (not always possible in the city). It only seems to happen under the conditions described above. I noticed this happening a little over a year after purchasing my Murano.

Murano

Automatic transmission

miles

2003 Nissan Murano, at 2500 miles transmission seems to skip or disengage for a second at highway speeds. Dealer could not reproduce problem. At 12000 miles vehicle started to act up and same thing happen, this time vehicle seemed like it was in neutral gear. Vehicle recalled for alternator replacement, same week and I informed the dealer of the issue, they seemed not too concerned. At 35000 miles when driving in reverse, transmission clink noise. At 58000 took vehicle to dealer with a complaint that the transmission is acting up. Dealer installed a gas tank shied, and did not care to investigate the transmission issue and said all are ok. 64000 miles, after stopping at a traffic light, vehicle will not move forward, acceleration pedal pushed all the way. Vehicle will then suddenly pickup speed and lung forward. Vehicle RPM will kick up and down while driving at steady and cruising speeds giving the vehicle a feeling of sudden acceleration and deceleration. Situation is getting worse and no help from dealer since he recently went out of business.

Murano 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

45,700 miles

03 Nissan Murano---transmission went out while driving at highway speed and car only has 46,000 miles. It is in the shop being repaired but it will take up 2 two weeks since transmission is coming from California. This is an issue because it is happening to too many Murano's at low mileage. Nissan must look into this and do something soon. I did not get hurt since I was able to pull over on the shoulder with the help of a tractor trailer stopping traffic. Someone else may not be as lucky. Please do something now!!!!

About CarComplaints.com

CarComplaints.com is an online automotive complaint resource that uses graphs to show automotive defect patterns, based on complaint data submitted by visitors to the site. The complaints are organized into groups with data published by vehicle, vehicle component, and specific problem.

What's wrong with YOUR car?™

"Autobeef", "What's Wrong With YOUR Car?" & "The Truth About Cars" are trademarks of Autobeef LLC, All rights reserved.

Add A Link

Links must be helpful to the general public & to a specific resource (like a forum thread), or they will be deleted when we review your link suggestion. Don't waste your time wasting ours! If you are interested in advertising a for-profit service, contact us.

URLPlease type the entire URL including the 'http://...'TitleDescriptionYour Email Address